Holiday
by cliffieluv
Summary: I reuploaded this story so it's in its entirety. There are five chapters posted at once. NH
1. Default Chapter

This story is what I would have liked to see happen in the episode Every Night is Another Story.  
  
Title: Holiday  
  
Author: Rebekah Disclaimer: Unfortunately I still don't own Chad or Baby James. All I do own is the plot bunnies. Rating: PG-PG 13, I guess. It's angst-y, not lewd. Dedication: I love this website so I dedicate this to all the people here who give feedback. Authors Note: I am definitely not done with my other story Scapegoat but this idea came to me and I felt like exploring it. Hope ya'll like.  
  
There is nothing quite like the feeling of being lost. I don't mean emotionally or spiritually but actually wandering around in an unknown area without any idea where you are or any hope that you are going to be found any time soon.  
  
I guess it makes it a little better when you are with another person, but not by much when this other person is a curly-blonde petite cheerleader, and the only protection the two of you have to defend yourself against the world is a tiny pocket-knife.  
  
These were my thoughts as Peyton and I attempted to travel back to Brooke and her car. It had gotten considerably darker over the period of time we had left to find gas so we could refuel and it was becoming apparent that we were in fact walking in circles and that we were ultimately very lost.  
  
We had yet to even find our way back to the main road. The farm where we had siphoned gas from a deserted truck had been a little ways through the woods and it hadn't seemed like such a long distance when they had first found it. I could tell that Peyton was becoming increasingly nervous the more we walked. I tried talking to her to calm her down but my babbling was having the opposite reaction: it was making her even more anxious.  
  
"Could you please stop. I swear your chatter is going to attract some serial killer who has a penchant for chopping up girls who talk to much," Peyton said.  
  
I rolled my eyes at her but it was hard for me to really be upset with her. I was scared too. We wandered a bit further with no luck. I was just about to lose all hope of ever seeing civilization again when I heard voices.  
  
"Do you hear that?" I asked Peyton in a hushed voice.  
  
We listened intently and sure enough there were voices coming from behind a huge mass of trees. The two of us shrunk into the grass below, trying to be as quiet as possible. We wouldn't reveal ourselves until we saw exactly whom these voices belonged to. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my knife and switched it open so the blade protruded outward. The action seemed to calm Peyton down slightly.  
  
We must have held our breathes for two minutes. Time passed so incredibly slowly that I thought I might turn blue and faint before we found out if we were going to be rescued or most likely going to be murdered.  
  
The voices became louder and it was obvious these people were walking towards us. It took me a moment to realize I knew the owners of these voices. I smiled and nudged Peyton who looked at me obscurely.  
  
"You have to know who that is." I said, standing up. "Don't you hear them bickering?"  
  
Lucas and Nathan Scott were indeed bickering. The two had had just a terrible ordeal as the girls, having being taken "hostage" by three of Pinkerton's varsity basketball team. They had been made to strip to their boxers and buy the punks beer and porno magazines. They had been made to play Gladiator and beat each other to a pulp. They had also worked together to trick their captors after Nathan stole their car keys in a genius game of "keys for clothes." They were now on the run from the Pinkerton players, hoping they would find a ride back to Tree Hill before meeting up with these punks again. Though, it seemed likely they would be re-matching Thing, Thing 1 and Thing 3 (yes, those were really their names) before they got a ride home seeing as the road they had been walking on for the past twenty minutes was completely deserted and the Things most likely had found their car-keys by now and were after some revenge for being out tricked.  
  
"I think Whitey should be arrested for this stunt," Nathan was saying.  
  
"It's not his fault Nathan. If you hadn't started taunting me we never would have gotten kicked out of the game," Lucas said next.  
  
"You were a jerk for making me look bad in front of Peyton. You deserved to get punched," Nathan argued.  
  
"Oh, and you didn't? I wasn't going to let you talk sh*t about Haley," Lucas said defensively.  
  
"I didn't mean it. I was just riling you up," Nathan said in return.  
  
Peyton stood up and joined me as I walked towards where I suspected the boys were. I was more than overjoyed to see that the road was just passed these trees. I felt better knowing we had been walking in the right direction after all. We had heard most of their conversation though, and I was a little amazed that so much of their fight had to do with me.  
  
The boys had their backs to us. I looked at Peyton, asking her silently if she wanted to do what I thought she wanted to do. One, two, three, go: she mouthed the command.  
  
We pounced and the boys screamed. It was pretty hysterical, at least from our perspective. Nathan and Lucas were much more angry than they were amused.  
  
Though, at first they were very confused and extremely shocked to see me with Peyton in the middle of the woods in the middle of the night. Lucas spoke first.  
  
"That really wasn't nice," Lucas gasped.  
  
"You scared the crap out of us," Nathan agreed.  
  
I knew what was coming and I watched Lucas's face for it. It was just as I suspected it would be: a serious 'what is Haley doing in the woods' face replaced his previous 'I was just totally scared by a girl' face. I would call the look on his face cute if his body language didn't show that he was in fact extremely upset.  
  
"Haley," he said, grabbing my arm. "What are you two doing out here?"  
  
He left out the most obvious and curious word: together. That explanation would come later.  
  
"Peyton was giving me a ride home from the game in Brooke's car and we ran out of gas, and then a funny thing happened and we got really lost finding our way back so we've just been wandering around these scary woods and." I rambled.  
  
"And what Haley is trying to say is that we are just really glad to see you guys and we are really glad to see the road, so why don't we talk more about this while we head back to the car," Peyton finished for me.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Yeah, what she said," I retorted.  
  
Lucas gave me a "you aren't off the hook" scowl then turned his attention to Peyton. She was walking ahead of us already following the road in what she strongly believed was the direction of the car. Lucas jogged to catch up with her. I fell behind with Nathan by my side.  
  
"So what do I have to do to find out why you and Luke are out here, together, with fresh bruises?" I asked him as walked along.  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Nathan replied.  
  
"Try me," I countered.  
  
Nathan began to tell me their story and the more information he divulged the more I knew it had to be the truth. No made up story could sound as ridiculous as the one Nathan had to tell.  
  
"Thing 3?" I asked incredulously.  
  
"He was the third," Nathan said with a laugh.  
  
"I'm not clear on one thing you said though," I said.  
  
Nathan made a "keep going" motion with his hands.  
  
"Are you sure you and Luke were forced to beat each other up or was that little game really your idea?" I asked.  
  
"No, I was telling the truth. It's weird but Lucas and I were almost getting along," Nathan answered.  
  
"We really are miles from normal," I said.  
  
"Tell me about it. I think Lucas and I got our own shock seeing you and Peyton hanging out together," Nathan said.  
  
"I may not be tall, leggy, popular or gorgeous but Peyton and I surprisingly have a lot in common," I confided in him. "Plus, she has a kick ass taste in music."  
  
Nathan made a face.  
  
"Oh man, then I'm in trouble," he said after a moment. "I couldn't stand half the music she would listen to."  
  
"I'll make you like it," I said.  
  
I'm not sure what came over me. I was being pretty bold. Nathan and I had never really hung out. I tutored him, and sometimes we talked about his feelings for Peyton or something that happened with his father, but we weren't pals the way Lucas and I were. Yet, I was implying that we could be.  
  
"Well then I'll make an effort to like it but only because it is you who asked," Nathan answered.  
  
"Okay," I said.  
  
It was the only response I could come up with. Nathan Scott could be so damn charming. It was then that Lucas called out for me.  
  
"Hales come here," Lucas yelled.  
  
He must have realized he had left me alone with Nathan for what he considered was much too long of a time. I smiled at Nathan and jogged to catch up with Luke and Peyton. Peyton seemed to understand that Luke wanted to talk to me alone and she moved closer to Nathan.  
  
"Yeah Luke?" I questioned.  
  
Luke pulled me to him and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. He was always so protective of me. Didn't he realize that I already had three older brothers and I really didn't need another one? Still, it was nice being held, especially since it happened to be very cold out. Brooke's car was in sight and I saw Peyton point it out to Nathan. The two began to walk towards it but Luke held me back for a second.  
  
"You have the pocket knife I gave you?" he asked with a worried look on his face.  
  
"I always carry it with me Luke," I answered. "You know I almost had to use it on these two guys tonight. They were stalking around the woods looking for innocent young girls to prey on and I was just about to put it to good use when I realized that one of the guys was my very best friend in the world and I just had to put Mr. Sharpie Knife away," I said with a giggle.  
  
"You are such a brat," he said.  
  
A laugh escaped his lips.  
  
"But apparently you are a smart brat who knows how to siphon gas. Where'd you learn that Hales?" he asked.  
  
I broke free of his grasp and started walking faster.  
  
"Uh, I dunno," I yelled back as I shrugged.  
  
I reached the car just in time to see Peyton and Nathan doubled over in laughter. There in the backseat was Brooke fast asleep with her backside up in the air. I started to laugh, as did Luke who came up beside me. I handed him the gas can and he refueled the car.  
  
Soon, we were back in Brooke's car. This time there were five of us instead of three and it only made the ride that much more bizarre. I quietly asked Peyton if I could put some music on. She nodded and I skipped past the first three tracks to my favorite song on the CD.  
  
I made eye contact with Nathan in the rear-view mirror.  
  
"Song number 1," I said with a grin. "Holiday by the Get Up Kids."  
  
"Now that I am faced with opportunity, you're not remembering. I'm not asking you anyway, even if you ever could cave in. I wouldn't know where to begin."  
  
Part 2  
  
Trouble  
  
Since the night of the basketball game, I seemed to have been suffering from one out-of-body experience after another. I'm serious. How else can I explain why at this very minute I am sitting on Peyton Sawyers bed, reading one of Peyton Sawyers magazines with one of Peyton Sawyers mud masks on my face.  
  
I never do girly things. I think I like to pride myself on that fact. It's just.this is all kind of fun in a disheartening 'this will probably never happen again' sort of way.  
  
"I want you to make me pretty," I sighed.  
  
She looked at me like I was insane.  
  
"You obviously don't look in the mirror much," she quipped.  
  
I laughed.  
  
"Yeah right. Look at me and then look at you," I reiterated.  
  
She paused.  
  
"I'm too tall, I hate my teeth and I have shoulders like a quarterback," she went on.  
  
"Oh shut up," I exclaimed. "You're gorgeous and you know it."  
  
Peyton threw the Cosmo magazine she was reading on her bed and motioned for me to follow her into the bathroom. We washed the mud masks off and stood for a moment looking into the mirror. She gently touched my face.  
  
"You have great cheekbones," she pointed out. "If you angled your hair starting above the jaw-line it would really accentuate them."  
  
"It's all too high-maintenance for me," I replied.  
  
"So then forget haircuts and make-up and just show some skin," Peyton said.  
  
I smiled.  
  
"I wore a skirt above the knees once and I swear Lucas was this close to calling the nunnery and having me locked away," I recalled the memory.  
  
"Well, maybe you'll have a different Scott boy looking at you this time," Peyton raised her eyebrow.  
  
I raised my eyebrow to match hers.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, the words catching in my throat.  
  
"It means Nathan is interested."  
  
I must have wrinkled my forehead because Peyton started to laugh.  
  
"He's not." I stammered.  
  
"He is," she said.  
  
I cleared my throat.  
  
"I'm not so it doesn't matter," I said as nonchalantly as I could.  
  
I followed Peyton back into her room.  
  
"You gave off a very different impression last night," she said as she started to rummage through her closet.  
  
"Wh.what," I mumbled. "I did not."  
  
"You did," Peyton asserted.  
  
"Ugh, let's say maybe I like him just a little," I started to say, which made Peyton grin. "He'll just end up treat me the way he treated you. Nathan Scott doesn't learn from his mistakes."  
  
Peyton looked at me intently.  
  
"That is pretty accurate. I think we should just write off Lucas and Nathan as lost causes and go pick up new boys," she said with a laugh.  
  
She threw a leather mini-skirt in my direction.  
  
"First though you need to change into that," she ordered.  
  
"Peyton, I don't think so," I whined.  
  
"Then it's a good thing I'm not asking you to think," she sassed. "Go change."  
  
I turned my back and started getting undressed. As I slipped the skirt on I was suddenly very happy I had shaved and lotion-ed the night before. She handed me a tiny pale pink halter-top and as I put it on she looked at me approvingly.  
  
"If you say one word about how this makes you feel like Cher from Clueless I'm going to take this right off," I exclaimed.  
  
She smiled and guided me over to the bed. In her hands she had a makeup kit.  
  
"Sit still and don't complain," she demanded.  
  
I sat uncomfortably as she applied eye shadow, eyeliner, blush, foundation, and lip-gloss to my unpolished face.  
  
"I'm using light, natural tones so stop freaking out," she said, noticing my wringing hands.  
  
She made a 'voila' sound and pointed me towards the mirror.  
  
"I am not going out in public like this," I stated.  
  
"You certainly are," she said, "and you are wearing these."  
  
She handed me a pair of boots that looked about my size.  
  
"You're cracked," I said, but I couldn't help smile at my reflection.  
  
I didn't look overly made up at all. In fact, I looked really - pretty. I faltered for a minute and I knew I was having a moment of acute self- awareness. Suddenly I was in another state of consciousness where I needed to make sure of what I was doing and why I was doing it. I always prided myself on the fact that I never compromised my beliefs by acting in a way that wasn't me. I seriously scrutinized myself over in the mirror and I realized that the person looking back at me was not a stranger - it was just a more polished looking version of myself. I looked a little shinier than usual, and my lips tasted better, and I was dressed up a lot nicer.  
  
I was finally convinced that I hadn't just turned myself into a shallow sell-out and I smiled approvingly at my new friend. Peyton stood up and draped a bag over her shoulder.  
  
"Where are we going," I whimpered, afraid yes possibly excited about the answer.  
  
"To find the brother's Scott. Let's go," she said, grabbing my hand and leading me out of the house.  
  
[I]So if you see me coming down the street then you know it's time to go. Trouble,  
  
Yeah trouble now[/I]  
  
Part 3  
  
[b]Consent[/b]  
  
I got into Peyton's car wearily. She wasn't what you would call a good driver, that much I had already learned from the few times I had driven with her. I put on my seatbelt and when I knew she was watching I made the sign of the cross.  
  
She rolled her eyes and I laughed.  
  
"You can dress me up in Barbie doll clothes but I'm still the same Haley Ramona James," I said.  
  
"Yeah, thank goodness for that," she deadpanned.  
  
I smirked.  
  
"So how are we going to torture me first?" I asked Peyton.  
  
"I was thinking we could find a deep pool of water to throw you into and see if my skirt makes a good floatation device," she joked.  
  
"I don't deserve such sarcasm," I said in mock-hurt.  
  
She ignored my remark.  
  
"Haley, we are going to have fun today. F-u-n, and the best part of it is that the word I just spelled out will be at the expense of two boys we know and pretend not to care about," she said with a smile.  
  
I grumbled, not able to think of any clever retort because the truth was I did want to have some fun.  
  
"I bet Nathan eats that up," she said after a moment, "you know, the cute grumbling thing you just did."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"You're so off base. You'll see after today that he doesn't like me Peyton. If anything, I think he wants back with you," I said softly.  
  
"I don't want him Haley," she said quickly.  
  
I plastered a fake grin on my face and said in a way-too-chipper voice.  
  
"Now I can have what I've always wanted! A cheerleader's leftovers!"  
  
She smiled back.  
  
"That's not what I meant and you know it. He isn't right for me but that doesn't mean he isn't right for someone - and by someone I mean you," she clarified.  
  
"Yeah, I think I got the hint," I snapped.  
  
I fiddled with the hem of the skirt that I hadn't realized was as short as it really was.  
  
"Does this thing even cover my butt?" I asked seriously.  
  
"Just barely," she grinned. "Why do you think I bought it?"  
  
"Because you spritzed on just a little too much hair-spray that day?" I guessed.  
  
"It's sexy now shut up," she ordered.  
  
"How is you're little plan to freak out Nathan and Lucas going to work if they aren't at the same place at the same time?" I asked, wondering what her game plan was.  
  
"Don't you worry, I worked that all out," she said cryptically.  
  
I paled.  
  
"What did you do?" the words escaped my mouth worriedly.  
  
She grinned.  
  
"I told a little white lie," she started.  
  
"What kind of lie?" I growled.  
  
"The kind you're not going to like so I'm not going to tell you until later," Peyton explained vaguely.  
  
I grumbled again. I looked out the window and noticed we were in my neighborhood. Soon, we were pulling up in front of my house.  
  
In the driveway were two familiar looking cars and two anxious looking boys standing beside said cars.  
  
"Why.why," no coherent sentence could come out of my mouth.  
  
Peyton swerved into the driveway and it was a good thing I had my seatbelt on or I would have gone flying.  
  
"You need to learn how to drive," I mumbled, unbuckling the belt and opening the door.  
  
The boys were at my side in a moment and each was talking over the other. I wasn't even out of the door yet.  
  
"Are you okay?" Nathan asked.  
  
"Do you want me to help you upstairs?" Lucas was asking at the same time.  
  
"How did this happen?" Lucas asked, not waiting for an answer for his first question.  
  
"Yeah, who the hell gave you Mono?" Nathan asked.  
  
I could have killed Peyton, who was trying so hard not to laugh but was failing miserably.  
  
"Hold up and back up," I said to them.  
  
I half-stumbled, half-leapt out of the car. I wasn't used to wearing high boots.  
  
"Look, I don't know what that evil girl over there told you but I don't have Mono," I clarified.  
  
"So then why." Lucas began but stopped as he noticed my appearance.  
  
"Why are you dressed like that?" Nathan finished.  
  
Even though I wanted to strangle her I was happy that Peyton chose this time to come over to me and link her arm with mine.  
  
"We are going to a party at Duke tonight and we wanted some male opinions on our outfits" she said most convincingly.  
  
"Yeah, we are," I mumbled terribly.  
  
Peyton laughed at my lame attempt to talk. She unhooked herself from my arm and started to twirl around slowly so the boys could see every inch of her.  
  
"So, what do you think?" she cooed.  
  
"I think you are not going to any party looking like that," Lucas said with a grim face before turning to me, "and you, I don't even know what to say to you."  
  
He was practically choking on his words. It was hilarious!  
  
I turned to Peyton.  
  
"I think.we look amazing and I can't wait to start dancing," I didn't stumble over my words this time and Peyton looked proud at my accomplishment.  
  
Nathan hadn't said very much at all and I wasn't sure what that meant. Either he didn't care at all or he cared more than I thought. I had no idea which, though, so I smiled at him.  
  
"Cat got your tongue?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah Scott, c'mon we heard Luke's opinion now what's yours?" Peyton chimed in.  
  
"You chose to ignore my opinion," Luke butted in.  
  
Peyton cleared her throat.  
  
"I was talking to the other Scott," she clarified, which shut Luke up for the second.  
  
Nathan smiled that crazy adorable smile of his.  
  
"I think.I'm always up for a party," he said. "You game Lucas?"  
  
Before Luke could make up his mind Nathan answered for him.  
  
"Good, it's settled. I'll drive," he said, shooting Peyton a 'there is no way I'm driving with you' look.  
  
The boys just stood there. Peyton rolled her eyes.  
  
"One of you open the door for us," she commanded.  
  
I couldn't help but laugh at her reminding them how to act like gentlemen. I tried my hardest to saunter like Peyton did as I walked past them towards Nathan's car.  
  
I could feel Nathan's eyes on my leather-clad butt.  
  
Lucas opened the back door for us and Peyton and I filed into the Jeep. Nathan brushed past me as he got into the drivers seat. I don't think anyone else heard what he said.  
  
"I hope you know what you're doing, Haley."  
  
To be honest I had no idea but I had a feeling that would be half the fun.  
  
[I] Somebody said I needed your consent. That's what I'm working on. Your consent, Is that so wrong?[/I]  
  
Part 4  
  
[B]Headlights[/B]  
  
I remember telling Nathan the first time I tutored him that I was math. I was math and math didn't care about his BS and his Mr. Big Shot status. I wanted to make sure he understood our relationship: he was my tutee and I was his tutor. I would not be another sheep who followed him around, doe eyed and stupid. Baa.  
  
I didn't exactly know Nathan then nor did he know me. I wanted to help Lucas, I liked tutoring and with Nathan I was doing both at the same time. I wasn't dejected enough to gloss over the fact that at some level I knew I was being used to stick it to Lucas, but since the hazing stopped after the tutoring started I let it roll off my back.  
  
I finished the last of my second beer. We had arrived at Peyton's cousin's house party an hour earlier and I was already well on my way to intoxication. I hadn't had anything to eat in hours and to be honest I had only drank once before and that was a glass of wine with Lucas when we were twelve, so I could feel my tolerance easily slipping away. Her cousin Eric was a sweet guy. He seemed to know Nathan well. I overheard the two of them talking: Eric said he was sorry about the breakup but Nathan just shrugged it off. He handed him a cup and Nathan waved it away, saying he was the designated driver tonight.  
  
I watched from the corner as Peyton danced. She was really in her element. I looked the right part but wasn't all too sure I could act it without falling on my face. I watched her some more and in a moment she had sidled up to Lucas and he was in her grasp and unlikely to be set free any time soon. I wasn't sure what I was feeling as I watched him tighten his grip around her waist.  
  
I felt like maybe I had to throw up. I let the urge subside. I thought back to what Peyton had said. Tonight was supposed to be f-u-n. She was having fun with Lucas and I was in a corner drinking and talking to myself. I decided it was time to have some fun.  
  
I don't know what came over me but I walked over to Nathan and Eric. My head was foggy and I could only make out some of what they were saying and I wasn't surprised to realize it was sports related. That boy is 100% jock.  
  
He noticed my presence immediately. I held out my hand to him.  
  
"Math wants to dance," I said, slurring my words only slightly.  
  
Nathan smiled.  
  
"With me?" he asked.  
  
"I would have preferred Johnny Depp but he's not here," I replied.  
  
He looked amused and grabbed my smaller hand in his.  
  
"So that's your type," he said as we started moving to the music.  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"No, not really," I answered back cryptically.  
  
I didn't say anything further. I turned my back to him and tried to mimic the moves I had seen Peyton do. I must have been doing it right because after a few minutes I felt his warm breath tickle my ear.  
  
"Who are you and what did you do with Haley?" he whispered.  
  
I turned back around and let out a laugh.  
  
"Still me in here," I assured him.  
  
He was confused and sweaty and completely turned on and I was eating up every second of it. He was holding me flush up against his body the way Luke had been holding Peyton before. His hands lingered over the flesh left bare by my tiny shirt and his fingers were tracing circles around and up and down my side as we danced.  
  
I looked past Nathan and saw Luke staring at me. I gave him a "you were doing it with Peyton so don't even start with me" look and he turned his back on me.  
  
I was brought back into Nathan-land when his deep voice asked me a question. He looked strangely concerned.  
  
"Are you at all sober?" he asked with a sigh.  
  
I may not be experienced with boys but I know how to interpret people. Nathan, at this moment, was insecure. He was trying to gauge whether or not I was dancing with him because I wanted to or because I was too drunk to know what I was doing.  
  
I gave him a stern face.  
  
"I'm a tiny bit sober," I tried to say with a straight face.  
  
He laughed. The boots I was wearing made me a lot taller and I was able to easily snake my arm around his shoulders. My hand lingered at the back of his head and my fingers started absentmindedly running through his hair.  
  
"The room might be a little blurry and I'm not too sure I know my own name right now but I never do anything I don't want to," I said.  
  
He traced my jaw line with his index finger.  
  
"I've thought about this before. You'd be jabbering away about triangles or hexagons and I'd start wondering what it would be like to hang out with you and not math," he said.  
  
He tugged at my shirt, which had ridden up considerably while we danced.  
  
"That was an added bonus," he said indicating the barely-there clothes.  
  
"I didn't ask Peyton to make me pretty for you," I clarified.  
  
Nathan laughed.  
  
"What are you talking about? You are always pretty," he complimented me.  
  
I think I let out a snort in response. I know I rolled my eyes, as well as blushed.  
  
"She just dressed you up sexy," he finished.  
  
He was looking into my eyes. I wanted to blink and look away but I couldn't turn away from him.  
  
"I told you math could be exciting if you just put some effort into it," I said.  
  
I knew it was incredibly dork-y the moment it came out of my mouth but if I couldn't be myself with him than it wasn't even worth getting to know him better. I stopped talking then. The music was getting faster again and the loud beat was giving me a headache.  
  
"I need some air," I told him.  
  
He released me from his arms and guided me out of the house. We stood on the porch in silence. It had gotten dark and cold and I involuntarily started shivering. I looked up at him expectantly.  
  
"What does a girl have to do around here to get a jacket?" I asked.  
  
Time and fresh air were slowly sobering me up and he noticed it too.  
  
"Your speech is improving," he joked.  
  
He shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to me. I quickly put it on.  
  
"Thank you," I said, "but are you sure you won't be cold?"  
  
He had this look on his face like he was trying to figure something out and I knew it wasn't if he would be cold without his jacket.  
  
"What is it?" I asked, suddenly intuitive.  
  
He smiled then.  
  
"See, you always do that: you ask about my feelings, you ask about what I'm thinking. No one else does that."  
  
I smiled back.  
  
"I'm a rare breed. Endangered, really," I joked.  
  
He leaned over the railing and his gaze lingered out over the street.  
  
"Well, I like it," he said softly.  
  
[I]Headlights. Highways. Your life collides with mine. Cold wind rushes down on my face. Smoke heats the black throat of the chimney. The door is open, come on inside...[/I] 


	2. Belief

Part 5  
  
[B]Belief[/B]  
  
I've never been a very adventurous person. I hate roller coasters, I won't eat any food I can't spell, pronounce or list every ingredient of, and I never have put my heart on the line for a boy. Playing it safe afforded me the luxury of living a peaceful existence.  
  
Then I spent an afternoon at Peyton Sawyer's house. I put on dressy clothes, I slathered make-up on my face, and I went to a college party and sought out the boy I liked to dance with.  
  
In retrospect I guess I wasn't all that adventurous that night - I did go home alone and without a goodnight hug or kiss but for some reason the entire experience left me with a strong feeling of self-satisfaction. I proved to myself I could be as irresistible to a guy like Nathan Scott as Peyton Sawyer was to his brother Lucas, and it felt pretty damn good.  
  
**  
  
"Nathan, did you come up with an answer?" I asked him impatiently.  
  
He had been working on the same math problem for twenty minutes now and if he didn't answer it soon and start on the next one we would be here all night.  
  
"Um, x equals 47," his voice wavered with uncertainty.  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"Nope, sorry. Here let me show you again," I said.  
  
He threw down his pencil.  
  
"It's hopeless Haley. You shouldn't waste your time," he replied dejectedly.  
  
I smiled at him.  
  
"I don't mind wasting my time on you," I asserted.  
  
I stood up and scooted into the seat next to him. I leaned closer to him so I could write each step of the problem on his paper for him to follow when he studied more on his own at home.  
  
1. Isolate the variable you are solving for on one side of the equation sign.  
  
His brow wrinkled.  
  
"What does that mean again?" he asked.  
  
I pulled an equation out of the book: 2x + 3 = 9  
  
"In order to get the x by itself you need to make the three go away. The way to do that is to subtract it from both sides. Then you get 2x = 6."  
  
He smiled.  
  
"Oh! Then you divide both sides by 2, right?" he asked, enthusiastic about understanding what I was explaining.  
  
"Exactly. Then you get what x is equal to. X = 3."  
  
He ran his hand through his hair.  
  
"You make it look really easy," he said.  
  
I laughed.  
  
"It is easy. You just need to follow the rules," I said matter-of-factly.  
  
He propped his feet up on the chair and leaned back.  
  
"Before we do another problem can I ask you something?" he questioned.  
  
"I don't know. Is this a question for math or for Haley?" I joked.  
  
"For Haley."  
  
The way he said my name gave me shivers from the nerve endings in my toes all the way up to my fingers.  
  
"Did you have fun at the party the other night?"  
  
F-u-n. There it was again: the pesky three-letter word that gnaws and claws at me when I sit at home on Friday nights watching Boston Public and eating Cherry Vanilla ice-cream.  
  
"Yes, I had fun," I answered shortly.  
  
"I did too," he replied. "We should do it again sometime."  
  
The other night had been like a holiday: a special day when something of immeasurable importance happened that requires a celebration to be held for it each year. It had been my holiday of f-u-n, but I never thought there could even be the possibility of making it an annual event, let alone a weekly one.  
  
I coughed a little in pleasant surprise.  
  
"Yeah, we should but," I started to say.  
  
He looked worried, wondering what the 'but' clause of my statement would be about.  
  
"I'm not wearing that skirt again. It was so short I swear I have windburn on my ass," I said.  
  
I should have been entirely embarrassed at having said that statement to Nathan Scott but I wasn't. It was like I was immune to the Mr. Big Shot side of him.  
  
Nathan laughed.  
  
"Fine, you can wear pants on our next date," he conceded.  
  
Date. Date? Date!  
  
At this moment I needed to talk to Peyton.  
  
**  
  
I relayed the entire conversation with Nathan to Peyton. She had this dopey look on her face like she was a talk show host and she had made the perfect Love Connection.  
  
"I told you he liked you," she said in a singsong voice that she only used for emphasis when taunting me.  
  
"He used the word date like six times," I said.  
  
I was completely unhinged and I was definitely acting like it: my arms were flailing as I spoke, my eyes darted back and forth from Peyton to every other object in the room and I couldn't stop swaying from one foot to the other.  
  
"Wait, you did say yes?" she questioned.  
  
She stared hard at me. Hands on her hips. Lips pursed.  
  
"I couldn't say anything else," I sighed.  
  
She grinned.  
  
"Oh this is going to be so great I totally have this perfect skirt for you," she rushed.  
  
I stopped her from saying more.  
  
"I think I'll stick with pants this time. I think we might go bowling," I said.  
  
Peyton made a face.  
  
"Bowling is so not-sexy," she cried.  
  
"What, you're not turned on by rented shoes?" I asked with a laugh.  
  
"That's nasty. Hmm, well I guess if you wear my skin-tight leather pants it might make it quasi-sexy."  
  
I looked at her like she was crazy.  
  
"One.I'm a million feet shorter than you and two.don't say 'you' referring to me and 'leather pants' in the same sentence."  
  
She sighed.  
  
"It doesn't really matter anyway," Peyton said.  
  
"I'm afraid to know what that is supposed to mean," I answered.  
  
She indicated with her finger for me to come closer.  
  
"He's much more likely just to look down your shirt," she whispered.  
  
I smiled.  
  
"I know," I said, returning her smile.  
  
Peyton laughed eyes in wide surprise.  
  
"You're okay with that?"  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"The boy learned how to solve equations. The least math can do is give him a little peek as a reward."  
  
She looked at me in bewilderment. I grabbed the lip-gloss off her shelf and heaped the shiny liquid onto my grinning mouth. I was going to celebrate the new f-u-n in Nathanland holiday in style.  
  
[I]Belief. Makes things true. Things like you. You and I. Tonight, you arrested my mind.[/I]  
  
The End. 


End file.
